An Innocent in Ireland: Curious Rambles and Singular Encounters

by David W. McFadden

When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland, he is determined to so do in a relatively innocent state. Using as a guide only In Search of Ireland , a 1930 title by travel writer H. V. Morton, he plans to follow the same route, to try to determine how things have changed and how they have remained the same.

This he proceeds to do – at least at first. But soon he is wandering more and more erratically around the country, poking into any corner and musing over any sight that takes his fancy – from a cozy guest house in Kilcullen to the legendary Hill of Tara, from the south-coast pub run by twin sisters to the windswept reaches of the Ballaghbeama Gap. And increasingly he is drawn to the prehistoric monuments of ancient Ireland. As he goes, he records his very personal impressions in a clear-eyed and wryly humorous way.

Wisely, McFadden also lets the many characters he meets speak for themselves; he loves a good chat and he gives ample space to the various loquacious barmen, shopkeepers, hoteliers, and passersby along the way. And of all the eccentric and appealing characters that he encounters, one of the most intriguing is his travelling companion, the mysterious Spanish chambermaid and poet Lourdes Brasil.

Amusing, quirky, compassionate but unsentimental, An Innocent in Ireland is a treat for any armchair traveller.

Genres: Travel, Ireland, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

David William McFadden was a Canadian poet, fiction writer, and travel writer. The author of 35 books of poetry, fiction and travel writing, McFadden started publishing poetry in 1958 and has been previously shortlisted for the 2008 Griffin Poetry Prize, as well as for three Governor General's Awards. He won the 2013 Griffin Poetry Prize for his collection What's the Score?

Reviews

[Alannah]

The first book I ever read about Ireland. I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much I had to buy it when I happened to see it at a used book store. I've read it at least four times now, cover to cover!

[Rebecca Ann]

I am thoroughly enjoying McFadden's book. Having traveled Ireland this past summer, it is helping me retrace my steps and plan for my next adventure there: things I missed and want to make a point of seeing, things I experienced but want to see from another perspective, etc. a great read!

[Pam]

As I’m heading to Ireland this year, I thought it would be fun to read about where I’m going.
I would say that McFadden is a decent writer, but this took me hither thither and yon.
It was more about his infatuation with Lourdes than much else.
I did learn about the circles and I am curious to see when I go
The north and the south still have their difficulties in this book would be 30 years old
Will it ever end?

[Erik]

I have mixed feelings about this book. The road trip around Ireland is interesting but the author's tendency to know everything better than others even though he claims to want to explore unknown places in Ireland based on an old travel book coupled with his overly healthy ego and mansplaining kind of put me off.

[Alice]

Blah. He doesn't explain enough about Morton's route and observations for that to be interesting. He doesn't explain why he brought along the travelling companion, what their relationship really is about, and why she's occassionally crying to make that intersting. He says the trip is about listenining to Irish people but spends most of his time looking at old rock monuments and mostly talks to innkeepers and other tourist-related folks. It might have been a great trip for him, but it's not great reading.

[Amanda]

The beginning of my "travelogue" phase started with this book. Written by David McFadden, it tells his story of retracing one of his favorite author's steps across Ireland.

It is not only a story of a country, but of a man and his passion. It was an amazingly quick read and as close to Ireland as I'm going to get anytime soon!

[Maggieb]

I read an Innocent in Scotland first and I have to confess I liked it better, but that may be because I had read it first. This one had the same warm humour as the other one, though, which was what I was looking for. In the end, I got a bit tired of the constant search for stones and dolmen. I think McFadden's forte is writing about people.